Lance Armstrong – Persecuted? Or Justly Routed? That’s the question currently buzzing. Is he a malinged hero – victim of an vendetta ? – or, as his accusers maintain – a sophisticated chemically enhanced rule breaker?

While not taking sides here, as an American, a cyclist, and most importantly someone who scribbles on all things French -related, DA BG do feel morally obliged to weigh in with a few “bon mots” on “dope-gate.”

My initial impression, to paraphrase the title of one of the late great Ray Bradbury’s books is : “Something strange this way comes”

Why strange? Well, for one thing, Mr. Armstrong has NEVER FAILED A DRUG TEST. Not once. In his entire career. 218 or so examinations. Clean as a whistle.

So, I find it strange to imagine on what basis the cycling powers that be decided “He must be on something and we’re gonna get ’em.”

Equally “unsettling”, but clearly not strange, is the apparent method of getting his former team-mates to “roll over.” Right out of a 30’s gangster movie. “If you rat on ‘Mr. Big’ we’ll go easy on ya.”

Now, back to the strange. The way strange-French variety. In the wake of the US Cycling “authorities” agnst over the fate of the sport in general and the Tour de France in particular, the Monsieur responsible for the Tour de France opined it would be impossible to allocate Armstrong’s stripped titles to other riders because the whole process has been “tainted.”

Ok -gotcha. So, if all the apples in this barrel are potentially rotten, and it’s impossible to weed out the ones that are “tainted” – that means – no Tour de France? This folks, is French logic at it’s best.

My regular readers(the 3 I pay to say nice things about me) while recall that I previously addressed the “doping issue” in THIS POST.

Regardless of Lance Armstrong’s guilt or innocence, regardless of the incoherence, rivalries (and who knows what else) between the “governing bodies” of pro cycling, one essential fact needs to be clearly understood:

Pro Sport is a business. And the objective of every business is to generate as much money as possible for those who control it.

When asked if he thought Pro Cycling would ever be “free” from doping, the Man responsible for stripping Lance Armstrong’s titles replied: “No.”